RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Rep. Liz Cheney crossed the political aisle once more this election 12 months and endorsed a Democratic colleague in a aggressive Home race, backing former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger on Saturday as she seeks a 3rd time period in a newly redrawn district in northern Virginia.
Cheney, vice chair of the Home committee investigating the Capitol riot and an unsparing critic of former President Donald Trump who misplaced to a Trump-backed challenger in her Wyoming major in August, mentioned in an announcement that Spanberger was targeted on discovering options and “devoted to serving this nation and her constituents and defending our Structure.”
The GOP nominee in Virginia’s seventh Congressional District, which is centered across the Interstate 95 hall in exurban Washington and rural communities to the east and west, is Yesli Vega, a county official and former police officer not too long ago endorsed by Trump.
Within the assertion supplied by Spanberger’s marketing campaign, Cheney mentioned Vega “is selling conspiracy theories, denying election outcomes she disagrees with, and defending the indefensible.” Cheney added: “We want our elected leaders to be sincere, critical, and accountable, which is why I’d urge voters in Virginia’s seventh District to help Abigail Spanberger.”
Throughout her major marketing campaign, Vega mentioned she believed there was proof that “signifies that the election of 2020 was interfered with.” However she mentioned she didn’t consider the election was stolen. Vega has additionally confronted persistent criticism from Spanberger and different Democrats over remarks — not particularly talked about in Cheney’s endorsement — by which Vega indulged the notion that being pregnant may very well be much less probably in circumstances of rape.
Spanberger, a centrist, mentioned that Cheney “understands that my work for Virginia is grounded within the precept of placing our nation first — over get together — all the time.”
Vega’s marketing campaign responded by saying that Virginians don’t belief the “lies” from Cheney or Spanberger and “know Yesli goes to Washington to battle for them, not a political get together.”
In October, Cheney endorsed Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, the primary time that Cheney had formally supported a Democrat. She additionally not too long ago visited Michigan to marketing campaign with Slotkin.
On Saturday, Cheney notably didn’t endorse Virginia Rep. Elaine Luria, a fellow Jan. 6 committee member and one other centrist Democrat in a tricky race. Luria faces state Sen. Jen Kiggans in Virginia’s coastal 2nd Congressional District.
A spokesman for Luria, Jayce Genco, would say solely that there aren’t any present plans for Cheney to become involved within the race. A spokesman for Cheney, Jeremy Adler, declined remark past the written assertion.
Cheney, who misplaced her GOP major in August to a Trump-backed challenger, has beforehand mentioned she is contemplating a 2024 presidential marketing campaign, which the previous president can also be anticipated to wage.
There isn’t any proof of widespread fraud, dishonest or manipulation of voting machines within the 2020 election. Exhaustive opinions within the states disputed by Trump upheld Democrat Joe Biden’s win, and authorized challenges pursued by the previous president and his allies have been rejected by quite a few judges, together with ones appointed by Republicans.
Cheney’s endorsement of Spanberger was first reported by The Washington Submit.